Spyker sets Saab profit target, seeks deal funding

By IBT Staff Reporter On 02/02/10 AT 10:36 AM

AMSTERDAM/STOCKHOLM - Spyker Cars (SPYKR.AS) has set Saab an ambitious 2012 profit target as it stressed development funding was secured despite needing more cash to fund its acquisition of the ailing Swedish auto brand.

The tiny, loss-making Dutch luxury carmaker, which produces just a few dozen handmade cars per year, clinched an audacious deal to buy Saab from General Motors GM.UL last week.

A defunct brand until current Chief Executive Victor Muller revived the firm in 2000, Spyker hopes to win back customers for Saab by focusing on three or four niche models, eating up an anticipated $1 billion in development costs.

Spyker, which will hold a shareholders meeting on the deal on February 12, also said Saab would return to profitability by 2012 -- a timeframe called into question by an Amsterdam analyst.

It is quite ambitious to be profitable by 2012. I don't think sales will rebound that quickly, Jeroen Willard at Dutch brokerage AEK said. I think it will be more like 2014-2015.

Spyker Cars said Saab's development costs will be partly financed through $326 million in redeemable preference shares to be issued by Saab to GM, $200 million in cash and a 400 million euro ($556 million) European Investment Bank (EIB) loan.

That together gives the new company about $1.08 billion in funding, while Spyker said Saab will also be granted favorable terms for supplies by GM and deferred payments from Saab to GM.

With the EIB loan, which is still to be granted, Saab's funding is secured and no share issues will be required, provided the developments at Saab will be in line with the Saab business plan, Spyker said.

Spyker said its statement -- which spelled out how much cash it would have -- was issued after incorrect media reports, some of them in Sweden, which cast doubt on its development funding.

Shares in Spyker, which have risen more than 40 percent this year, were down 0.56 percent at 3.58 euros at 1340 GMT, compared with a 0.48 percent rise in the Amsterdam AEX .AEX index.

NICHE PLAYER

Saab produced just 20,791 cars last year as sales slumped to 39,903 from 94,751 in 2008, but aims to raise production to pre-crisis levels of about 100,000 to 125,000 with the help of a new sales and distribution strategy.

Saab, which Spyker will run as a standalone company, will focus on three to four models: the 9-3, the new 9-5 and the new 9-4X sport utility vehicle for the U.S. and European markets.

It will look into adding a fourth smaller car line, the 9-1, but this model is not part of the business plan and additional financing would be needed.

Spyker said it is committed to the business plan, which was drawn up by Saab management over the past 10 months with the aim of becoming a performance-oriented niche car company.

Both Spyker and Saab are loss-making, however, and IHS Global Insight auto analyst Ian Fletcher said in a note one of the key issues will be the ongoing cash situation of Saab. It remains to be seen whether this risk will pay off, he said.

DEAL FINANCING

Spyker's Muller has told Reuters restoring confidence in the Saab brand and regaining lost customers is a key to its future.

One of Muller's first tasks, however, will be to shore up financing for the $74 million cash part of the deal.

Spyker said the first installment of $50 million consists of $25 million borrowed from a Muller investment vehicle, and $25 million from an issue of shares, largely to GEM Global Yield Fund Ltd.

A second installment of $24 million - payable on July 15, 2010 - has not yet been funded.

Spyker has been approached by various investors to fund this installment. Spyker intends to finance this amount primarily through senior debt, the company said, adding it has pledged assets to GM as security for the final payment.

Muller told Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet the company had quite a lot of time to obtain the funding and had many opportunities to get the money.